Community Music School of Springfield honors founder Eric Bachrach

SPRINGFIELD- Students and faculty of the Community Music School of Springfield chose to thank their retired leader Eric Bachrach with music.

The school hosted a Concert of Gratitude Sunday in Robyn Newhouse Hall for Bachrach who retired in October.

“I feel honored and thankful that they would want to do this for me,” he said.

The concert was organized by founding faculty member Mary Ellen Miller. The event included performances by advanced students and faculty members.

Republican photo by Don Treeger12-12-10 Springfield - Republican staff photo by Don Treeger- The Community Music School of Springfield held a "Concert of Gratitude" in honor of Eric Bachrach, founder and former executive director of the school. Here, he poses with clarinet teacher and the coordinator of this event, Mary Ellen Miller (L) and Fran Zarubick, current executive director of the school.

Miller said the concert was meant to honor Bachrach for the courage and determination it took him to open a music school 26 years ago.

The concert included cello, clarinet and piano performances by advanced students as well as performances by many of the school’s faculty. The show included about 90 minutes of music.

“Eric has very eclectic musical tastes, so there is music from many different genres represented in the concert,” said Jeanie Connor, director of development and communications for the music school.

Even with heavy rain and wind close to 200 people attended the concert Sunday.

“We had a great turnout. I think it shows how much people appreciate the work he has done,” Connor said.

A native of New York City and a violinist Bachrach founded the school in 1983 to give children of any income level and social background an opportunity to learn to play music.

Bachrach, who lives in Amherst, said he believes there is a lot to look forward to from the school.

“I think the best has yet to come,” he said.

Bachrach said he will continue to work with an arts council in Connecticut and with a program that provides music education to children in the state Department of Youth Services juvenile lock-up facility.

“I have developed some very powerful, meaningful and important relationships through my work here and I am so grateful for that,” Bachrach said.